Unresolved trauma feels like chaos permeating every facet of life.
In fact, in most of the literature on trauma counseling, it is often called a wound of the soul. I cannot think of a more apt description. Trauma shakes a person to the depths of their being, leaving a trail of devastation in it’s wake. Some of the most common signs include trouble sleeping, frequent nightmares, flashbacks, hyperarousal, hypervigilance, and persistent negative thoughts about yourself or the world at large. Perhaps one of the worst effects, however, is the negative impact it has on relationships. Many of my clients report feeling distant from others.
Isolation and fear are two of the most debilitating emotions humans can experience. They can lead to feeling as though there is no hope the situation could ever improve. Trauma can almost take on a life of it’s own, keeping you stuck under it’s thumb, unable to reach out for help because you feel it will do no good. Sometimes it can feel like the trauma controls you, causing you to feel helpless and hopeless.
In reality, you can take action. You can treat and heal the pain and devastation of trauma.
I practice a form of trauma counseling for individuals known as Narrative Exposure Therapy. The idea behind NET is quite simple: trauma prevents memories from being placed in their proper context so that they live on as “hot” memories long after the event has ended. Our task is to place the out-of-context, “hot” memory into it’s proper context, so it can become a “cool” memory. When we have successfully completed NET, the trauma will be a very unpleasant memory, but it will not have the same sort of control or impact on you it used to have.
Truthfully, it’s not an easy or fun process to go through the NET protocol. I wish I could tell you it is. It’s hard work, but it’s worth it. And I’ll be with you every step of the way. When it comes to treating trauma, it is vitally important that we have a quality, supportive relationship and that you feel totally safe and free to engage in the process. It is a privilege to walk alongside my clients and help them achieve something they thought impossible, and I would love to have the opportunity to do the same for you.
Click the link below to start your journey to healing today.